Disneyland Resort grows its Enchanted Forest of Construction Walls

January 26, 2011, 3:51 PM ·
The kids are in school and crowds are light at the Disneyland Resort in Anaheim, California - making plenty of space for the construction crews to move in and get to work.

There's no longer any "California" in front of Disney California Adventure. Nor is the old sun icon standing behind the Golden Gate bridge, either.

Disney's put the letters into storage and torn down the middle third of the entry turnstiles as it remakes the front entrance of the park.

Hmm, do you think that artist concept of the new Disney California Adventure entry plaza that looks a bit like the entry to Disney's Hollywood Studios in Walt Disney World?

I like what Disney's done with this construction wall, though, evoking the new 1930s theme for the entry plaza by featuring many of Disney's original toons, including Oswald the Lucky Rabbit and Mortimer Mouse. (It gives the park an "Epic Mickey" spin, as Imagineering effectively erases much of the park to recreate it.)

Inside the park, construction's broken the circuit around the lagoon, at the site of the now-removed Maliboomer.

The new Little Mermaid show building is almost complete, preparing for an expected soft opening in April.

And work's coming along on Cars Land, set to debut sometime next year.

Replies (13)

January 26, 2011 at 4:22 PM ·
Mr. Niles, I apologize for correcting you in front of everyone but you wrote "Yet, if you can find your way around the walls, most of the rest of Disney's top attractions remain open (Pirates, Indy, Thunder, Subs, etc.) ..."

Obviously what you MEANT to write was "Yet, if you can find your way around the walls, most of the rest of Disney's top attractions remain open (JUNGLE CRUISE, Pirates, Indy, Thunder, Subs, etc.) ..."

January 26, 2011 at 4:56 PM ·
There is a slight alphabetizing to the board broken across two columns. Why it's not entirely alphabetized, I don't know. But they should never do it by land for those guests that have no clue where the rides are located.

And never have an automated board ranking them by the wait times. That will deter guests and raise irritation levels.

I think it's funny that the longest wait time is for Autotopia. That and those spinning Dumbo rides are great examples of the rides that you go there with kids..... thinking we are going to one of the highest quality themed parks there is..... and they have all these options, yet they want to ride the simple spinning up and down ride or the cars on a rail!!.....lol.

January 26, 2011 at 5:52 PM ·
Geeez my youth leader's daughter is gonna be spending her 5th birthday staying at the resort for a couple of days in March, I hope all this construction won't interfere with her first visit to Disneyland & Cal Adventure :(

76.91.132.82

January 26, 2011 at 5:53 PM ·
What are they doing to SplashMountain!!!??? I'm planning to go with a friend on Friday. She hasn't been there in a long time and she wanted to go on Splash Mountain! When will they be done with the construction?